burning of nerve root in facet joints

Pardon my curiosity, I've never had that procedure done, but I'm just a little curious how it works. I can see where such a procedure would help with some radiculopathy, but how would it help with the back pain? The left nerve roots, posterior, and anterior, at my L3 level are completely severed, and that area in my back still hurts like the devil, but there's a nice practically paralyzed area from my left hip down wrapping around the knee cap. So I'm really curious how such a procedure would actually help with the back pain, since my understanding of those nerve roots, is that they control the pain and function of the parts of the body that they're distributed to. Please forgive my ignorance, but if you could elaborate on how this procedure works, I'd really appreciate it.

Jane, I have issues with L3 L4 and L5 facet joints along with 2 bulging disc causing all kinds of horrific pain in the back and down to the hips to the knees. Some days I could hardly walk. Couldn't sleep on my left side. An MRI showed 2 facet joints with advanced arthritist and wasting away.

about 3 weeks ago I had the first of 3 procedures with six injections  into six facet joints. The injections med was Lidocane. This med only lasted 6 hours, I was pain free. In fact I had diminished pain for 2 weeks after.  Yesterday I was given 6 injections of bupivicaine which is suppose to stop the pain for up to 18 hours. I am pain free as I write this. It this latest injection is successful in 2 weeks I will under go the burning of the nerve roots to these facet joints and this should make me up to 75% pain free for about a year as the nerves will regenerate at this point. If this does not work........surgery.

I go to an advanced pain management facility. The doctor said I had to go through the first two 'tests' to see if the pain goes away (are they hitting the correct area) in order for the insurance to pay for the 3rd. step the burning of the nerve roots. 

This procedure is called Medial Branch Blocks.

Cincin
Hi I am also new...I have had the nerve abatement proceedure done 3 times on my neck...I have degenerative disk..the first time I had about 3 months worth of relief, the second about 2, and the last about 2 weeks. I don't know if that is the norm, but for a few months, it was great not to have to carry a pill bottle with me...my next appointment is sept 20th. And it has been six months since the last cervical nerve abatement, so I have scheduled another.
For me when the treatment wears off(the nerves grows back) it seems to be just a little worse then before. But then again, it may just be me actually knowing what not hurting every second of every day feels like for a short while. So when it does return, It could be actual or psychosymatic...either way, for me the trade off is worth it...... Hope that helps!

Cincin

I kind of thought it was what I had had in the past. I am really pleased you have had good results with this, it works for some and not others. It is always worth a go. Seeing as you have had such good results I think the RFA will work well for you, nothing ventured nothing gained!!!

It honestly is not that painful. I am assuming they will use sedation, that is the norm and if it is not mentioned ask for it. You will be lying face down and once the needle is in place, it takes nearly a minute to 'burn' the nerves. If you have many areas to do it can be a lengthy process, hence the reason for the sedation. As for pain, well that is obviously individual, but I can honestly say, hand on heart, that it was not as bad as I had expected. I expected to be able only to lie down, not to be able to move but it wasn't like that at all. Yes, I had to take some extra pain meds but only for a couple of days. I think I was told I could have pain up to a week but I was OK after a couple of days. I am no sure there is anything better, I did ask, I do think the next step would be surgery. Remember people only tend to write about bad experiences, there are many that have the procedure and report nothing.

I honestly think you should give it ago, you can shout at me if it doesn't work!!!???

Let me know how you go.

Jane

Cincin

I think that's a great plan. With two hours procedure time I am positive they will use sedation, and even although you will be able to communicate with the staff, you will not remember a thing.

I really hope this works for you. After this is done try working on your core muscles as that might help too. I hope it doesn't come to surgery, but I can honestly say that my spinal fusion in 2010 was 100% successful. Just unfortunate that more went wrong!!! Please let me know how it goes. Do you have a date yet?

Take care

Jane

Thanks Scott. I am having the RFA done 9/7/12. Having been in horrible pain for 2 years, I am looking forward to be pain free for a while. As I mentioned I have to have RFA on 6 facet joints and that is what I have a problem with. I could stand one or 2 and deal with pain, pressure etc, but 6 is too much for me. I will ask to be heavily sedated.

Cincin....I wish you luck with the upcoming procedure...

I guess I am a bit puzzled at the theory your Dr. is saying that unless you become pain free from this...then surgery is the next step? That seems to be a strange jump.

Make sure that you get 2-3 opinions from Board Certified Neurosurgeons or BC Orthopedic surgeons that do not know one another before getting any surgery.

I would assume that they have already put you through rounds of physical therapy, traction, using a TENS unit, and other medications to help. Especially nerve pain meds like Lyrica, Cymbalta or Neurontin?

How about muscle relaxers?

Usually Drs. will use these medications...most of the time in conjunction with one another, to give the spine/discs ways to recover while lowering the pain levels.

How long have you had these issues? I would just make sure that all the other options are tried first before doing surgery and as I mentioned..getting those other opinions as well.

Then, if you need a fusion or other type of surgery, you will feel comfortable that everything has been tried.

Good luck...

Thanks for sharing more...

I just have to say that yours is another example where possible Chiropractic adjustments may have made things terribly worse.

I strongly recommend that people always seek out a Neurosurgeon or Orthopedic surgeon first and see if they have any type of actual damage/injury like herniated discs or facet joint disease...

And only if everything is perfectly clear should someone seek out a Chiropractor as they are not an actual medical Dr. I personally don't believe in going to them for anything...but I do recognize that people have gotten help when they do not have anything else wrong with them where it could be dangerous.

Not trying to make you feel bad now:( Just stating this for others who read this so that someone doesn't follow the same path.

You are lucky that it didn't paralyze you with an adjustment!!

All you can do now is go from here...and if a fusion or other type of surgery is the next step....as I've written on the boards...there are many, many people who do very well after surgery and have little to no symptoms. What you read on here or other places online are those in the smaller percentage where it didn't relieve all the pain and there are chronic problems.

So I will pray that you will be able to be in the higher percentage!...

As mentioned, please seek out a few more opinions and then choose the best Board Certified surgeon to do the job...

I am blessed to have found my last Neurosurgeon as even though this was my third fusion...I was in excruciating pain from a terrible fusion previous to that. So he took everything (all the titanium) out and started from scratch and went in from the front and the back to really shore me up.

Even though I have chronic pain from so many surgeries and scar tissue as well as other herniations...I don't have the terrible nerve pain every day.

So...let's hope the procedure goes well...

Are you currently on nerve pain meds to help with that pain? How about a muscle relaxer? Those two are extremely helpful for those specific types of pain in addition to any type of opiate that a Dr. may prescribe as well. But opiates do not touch that type of pain....so hopefully you are on a good mixture of medications to help if/until you get the surgery...

Keep us posted!

I'm the same as you as I never had an issue with my back until the severe cervical herniations back in 2001 at age 33. I have always been an adrenaline junkie and in betweeen volunteering with the Fire Dept. for 10 years, skydiving, rock climbing, and having a hobby of photography with a nice heavy old film Nikon camera with 80-200 lens around my neck....it seems it was all taking a toll on my spine without knowing it.

I always exercised each day...did ab strengthening and had a nice 6 pack even for a girl...LOL..Which is all great for your back/spine...but it seems the disc degeneration was just too much and herniations were happening everywhere.

The first surgery was within a week of them seeing the MRI as I was in such extreme pain and dropping things. They used my own bone from my hip and no titanium that time. It did well for quite a few years but then it all fell apart...literally...and had the second fusion...And as I wrote in my last post...that one went terribly wrong and the Dr. was such jerk!!

My Neuro and PM are trying everything they can from having to do more fusions on the other herniations in my lumbar area as well as lower cervical/upper thoracic.

I am so used to a 5-7 pain level now but if I was in your situation.....going for the first fusion if they say it's needed still gives you a great shot at repairing things and hopefully it will be your one and only surgery!!

It does seem like you all have tried everything...and that's when you can feel good (as good as you can about surgery..lol) going into a fusion.

I really hope they are helping you with medications as I mentioned like nerve pain meds...a muscle relaxer, and even an opiate if needed to help your pain levels right now.

Glad you have found us here at HW as it's a great "family" of people who all empathize what it's like living with pain...

Hi Cincin, thats awesome that you are not having any pain. I am surprised as well because normally you do hurt worse after having the procedure done for a bit. I guess for some reason you are just one of the lucky ones. So, enjoy being pain free. I hope you can make it a year before the pain comes back, but usually its about at the 6 month mark when most start noticing the pain again.

Keep us posted on how you do......Susie